


Neither Malice Nor Matter

by bratfarrar



Category: Winter's Tale - Shakespeare
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:04:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bratfarrar/pseuds/bratfarrar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leontes doesn’t want to see this. [<i>The Winter’s Tale</i>, I.ii]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Neither Malice Nor Matter

“He’ll stay, my lord,” Hermione says, all dimples and laughing eyes.

The words ought to bring him pleasure; a friend persuaded to stay another week, a wife not jealous of his time and attention. But instead they burn, because the friend stays not at his request, and the wife smiles at another man’s stories.

He watches them together, and knows not what to think. Hermione leans her head closer to Polixenes to hear him speak; Polixenes rests his hand against her back, eyes fixed on hers. They laugh, and the moment of intimacy is broken. But the memory of it remains, hanging suspended over everything Leontes sees.

Surely they—

Surely—

When he speaks to his son, he knows not what he says.


End file.
